Combination hair-cutting tool



Oct. 4, 1955 H. J. LAVERTY 2,719,357

COMBINATION HAIR-CUTTING TOOL Filed Jan. 21, 1953 /WMMJJMMAWM ATTORNEKS Unite States Patent COMBINATION HAIR-CUTTING TOOL Howard J. Laverty, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Edward Week & Company, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York The invention is concerned with a combination haircutting tool and in its more specific aspects with a combination scissors and hair shaper. The objects are to provide a device such as a combination razor and comb or scissors and hair shaper embodying means for securely locking in position a razor type blade which permits rapid, safe and convenient insertion of the blade in the holder and its corresponding ready removal therefrom.

The device embodies a blade holder member provided with a flat supporting surface whereby the blade may be easily placed thereon and swung into place and secured by a simple but effective arrangement of supporting and locking means including a latch conveniently operable manually. The insertion or removal of the blades therefore does not embody any operation requiring for example that the blade be pushed into a frictionally engaging slot with the attendant danger of injury to the fingers.

The arrangement and association of parts is such as to result in an overall very compact simple instrument. As embodied in a combined scissors and hair shaper the blade is located at the inner surface of one of the scissors blades and the hair shaping parts add but very little to the size of the instrument as a whole.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing features, properties and the relation of elements which will be indicated in the representative cutting instruments hereinafter described, and the scope of which invention will be indicated in the claims.

Reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a complete instrument comprising a combined scissors and hair shaper;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the scissors blade with the razor blade in the process of being applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the razor blade holding part;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of blade holding means;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of blade particularly suitable for the locking means shown in Figure 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 6 showing details of the latch.

The principles of the invention are capable of application to various types of instruments. As particularly embodied in Figures 1 to 5 the instrument comprises a combined scissors and hair shaper, the scissors including a pair of blades 10 and 11 pivoted together at 12 in the usual manner. The inner surface of the scissors blade 10 has a depressed fiat supporting platform 13 upon which the blade 14 is adapted to be supported. The outer edge of the scissors blade 10 preferably is provided with comb teeth 15. At the rear of the platform surface 13 toward 2,719,357 Patented Oct. 4, 1955 the cutting edge of the scissors blade there is located a slot extension 16 into which the back edge of the blade is adapted to extend. At the outer end of the scissors blade there is located a suitable pin 17 cooperating with a slot 18 in the outer end of the blade 14. The pin 17 has an enlarged head 17a which is larger than the slot 18 and is therefore adapted to overlie razor blade portions when the blade is inserted. The pin and slot connection described may be varied of course as to specific character, the particular arrangement shown being illustrative.

The opposite end of the blade is locked in place by a simple conveniently operable latch means comprising a spring or elastic member 20 secured at 21 to the shank of the scissors blade 10. The outer free end of the spring latch is shaped particularly as shown in Figure 4, i. c. it has an offset portion which extends through an opening 22 in the scissors blade. The latch terminates in a flat thin finger 23 which has a shoulder 24 adapted to engage the inner edge 25 of the slot 18a in the blade 14.

In assembling, the razor blade 14 is. laid upon the supporting platform 13 in an initial position something like that shown in Figure 2, and then advanced endwise to engage the notch 18 around the pin 17 which serves as a pivot. Manually pressing on the portion 20a of the latch moves it to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4 permittingthe razor blade to be swung to its final position as shown in Figure 1, and. upon releasing the latch the shoulder portion 24 engages in the slot 18a of the razor blade holding it against lateral or endwise movement, and the finger portion 23 of the latch overlies the razor blade and presses it down on the supporting surface 13. The razor blade may be easily released for removal by manually pressing on the latch. The manner of assembly and removal therefore is extremely easy and simple and does not require the exertion of any substantial finger gripping of the blade to move it into position and the danger of cutting the fingers upon the blade edge which is common in devices of this nature is very largely obviated.

The specific details of the pin and latching means may of course be varied. Figures 6 to 8 show one such variation or modified form of the invention. In this case the blade 30 is provided with openings 31 and 31a which are keyhole shaped. The outer supporting pin 32 fixed in the scissors blade 33 has an enlarged head but of a size adapted to pass through the larger portion of the blade opening 31. The spring latch member 34 is provided at its outer end with a lug or pin 35 slightly smaller only than the larger portion of the opening 31a in the blade 30, and the latch also has an outer flanged portion 36 adapted to bear down upon the outer flat surface of the razor blade 30 when it is latched in position.

In assembling, the larger portion of the opening 31 at the end of the razor blade 30 is of course slipped over the enlarged head of the supporting pin 32 and the blade 30 then moved longitudinally to bring the pin 32 into the position shown in Figure 6, and the blade is then swung into position and latched in a manner similar to that described in connection with Figures 1 to 5. It will be apparent that the blade 30 as well as the form of blade 14 are reversible end for end.

Since, as has been indicated, various changes may be made in the details of the construction and the elements may be embodied in different types of instruments, it will be understood that the matter contained in the illus trations and in the above description are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a combined scissors and hair shaper a pair of pivoted scissor blades, one of said scissor blades being adapted to support at its inner face adjacent the other scissor blade a hair shaper blade the scissor blade having for that purpose a cut out portion presenting a shaper blade supporting surface at the inner scissor face, a pin extending laterally from said surface adapted to engage in an opening in the corresponding end of the shaper blade,

a relatively shallow slot means at the back edge of said surface toward the scissor blade cutting edge adapted to receive therein the back edge of the shaper blade with the major portion of the shaper blade extending outwardly 'flat blade having a fastening opening in each end of the blade, an elongated blade holder body having a surface adapted to support the blade fiatwise thereon, comb teeth along the front edge and a longitudinal shoulder along the rear edge of said surface, a pin extending upwardly from said surface at one end thereof forwardly of said shoulder adapted to engage in the opening at the corresponding end of the blade and with the blade adapted to be swung thereon as a pivot to engage the back edge of the blade against said shoulder, a spring latch at the opposite end of said surface having a formation adapted to, engage in the opposite end opening in the blade, said latch comprising a flexible member secured at one side of said holder with the free portion extending through an opening in in said holder and with the outer end carrying said formation adapted to overlie and be urged elastically toward the blade for locking engagement therewith but adapted to be flexed outwardly by manual pressure exerted thereon at said first aide to permit the blade to be swung into position.

3. In a cutting blade and holder combination, an elongated holder body having comb teeth along one edge and a blade supporting surface extending inwardly therefrom, a blade adapted to rest thereon, a pin at one end of said supporting surface adapted to engage in an opening in the corresponding end of the blade when the blade is initially applied with the blade extending outwardly at an angle to the holder, said holder having and overhanging ledge along the inner edge of said supporting surface to provide a longitudinal slot to receive the inner edge of the blade as it is swung inwardly from the initial position the major portion of the blade then resting on said surface outwardly beyond said slot, and a spring latch at the opposite end of said surface from said pin having a formation thereon adapted to engage in an opening in the end of said blade opposite to the first mentioned end when said blade is swung inwardly, said latch being elastically urged transversely to the plane of the blade into locking engagement with the corresponding opening of the blade and having a portion adapted to compress the blade down upon said supporting surface.

4. In a combined scissors and hair shaper a pair of pivoted scissor blades, one of said scissor blades being adapted to support at its inner face adjacent the other scissor blade a hair shaper blade the scissor blade having for that purpose a cut out portion presenting a shaper blade supporting surface at the inner scissor face, a pin extending laterally from said surface adapted to engage in an opening in the corresponding end of the shaper blade when the shaper blade is initially applied extending at an angle to the corresponding scissor blade, a slot means at the back edge of said surface extending for a short distance toward the scissor blade cutting edge adapted to receive therein the back edge of the shaper blade when the shaper blade is swung inwardly from the initial said angular position, the major portion of the blade then resting on said surface outwardly beyond said slot, and a spring latch mounted on the scissor blade at the opposite end of said supporting surface having a formation adapted to engage in an opening in the opposite end of said shaper blade when swung inwardly, said latch being elastically urged transversely to the plane of the shaper blade into locking engagement with the last named opening and having a portion adapted to engage the fiat surface of the shaper blade and compress the latter down upon said supporting surface, and said supporting scissor blade being provided with comb teeth adjacent the outer cutting edge of the shaper blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 610,770 Schnabel Sept. 13, 1898 841,916 Arnold Ian. 22, 1907 856,078 Martin June 4, 1907 919,307 Becker Apr. 27, 1909 1,013,159 Hajdu Jan. 2, 1912 1,552,771 Sparks Sept. 8, 1925 2,593,574 La Crosse Apr. 22, 1952 2,603,863 Maggio July 22, 1952 

